Virus forces Spurs to close down their training ground

Tottenham today closed down their training ground and put players in quarantine in a bid to stop illness wrecking their Champions League hopes yet again.

Defender Vedran Corluka and midfielder Wilson Palacios have already been laid low by a virus that has swept through their Chigwell base and manager Harry Redknapp was desperately hoping no more first-teamers would be affected ahead of Sunday's visit of Everton.

Tottenham, then under Martin Jol, famously fell at the last hurdle in 2006 when they were poised to pip Arsenal for fourth place.

A virus — initially misdiagnosed as food poisoning — sent them tumbling to defeat against West Ham and allowed the Gunners to nip in on the last day.

This time round Redknapp wasn't prepared to take any chances, ordering those affected to stay away for 48 hours.

"We have this virus problem at the training ground and we've closed it down," he said. "We are going to train there but everything else is off limits — the offices and the cafeteria. There will be no food or anything.

"We are just going to go in and train and then get out of there. We had a few down with it the other day. Corluka had the virus and Palacios was not feeling great with it either.

"It has swept through the Academy. About 18 who work there or the kids have all got it so the doctor decided we couldn't use it.

"We are still going to train there but just get into the changing rooms, get out on the pitch, shower and get out of there. Other than that it's closed down there completely.

"It hasn't disrupted us, we are still training as normal and hopefully no one else gets it but there have been so many other people who have gone down with it, including a few of the Press boys who came over on Tuesday. It is certainly spreading."

Redknapp has other worries as striker Jermain Defoe is doubtful with a hamstring problem and fellow forward Peter Crouch is also struggling with an ankle knock.

But at least the Spurs boss believes his team are under less pressure than his rivals to claim a place in the Champions League.

He said: "Compared to ourselves and Aston Villa, I still believe there is more pressure on Liverpool and Manchester City, when you consider what they've spent."